burgers

Square 1 Burgers & Bar, the casual, full-service chain that started in Tampa and features a wide array of gourmet burgers, has closed its Sarasota restaurant at 6240 S. Tamiami Trail, near Stickney Point Road.

The business had moved from a site across from Sarasota Memorial Hospital in 2015 into a remodeled former Christian Youth & Nightlife Center.

“Unfortunately, the closing was caused by the dramatic drop in sales since June of last year,” a Tampa-based spokesperson said via email.

BurgerFi is celebrating Earth Day on April 22 by giving its customers free “plantable burgers.”

The artisan burger chain at 257 N. Cattlemen Rd. will offer guests purchasing a burger a circular disk, or burger, they can plant at home to grow their own lettuce.

Additionally, guests who receive a “plantable burger” can enter for a chance to win a $100 BurgerFi gift card by uploading a photo of themselves planting their “burger” on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #growitforward tagging @burgerfi.

The burger chain, which launched in 2011, falls midway on the spectrum between traditional restaurants and fast-food chains. The restaurant is comparable to the Five Guys burger chain, combining the quick turnaround of counter ordering with better-quality ingredients.

The North Palm Beach-based company touts its use of hormone-free beef, its chairs made from “upcycled” Coca-Cola bottles and the fact that its signature sauce was designed in house. The menu also includes hot dogs, veggie burgers, custard, fries and onion rings.

BurgerFi is celebrating the kickoff of baseball season on opening day with $1 hotdogs on Sunday, April 2.

The artisan burger chain, which has a location at 257 N. Cattlemen Rd., will sell up to two Vienna Dogs per person with complimentary toppings on opening day. Premium toppings will have an upcharge.

The burger chain, which launched in 2011, falls midway on the spectrum between traditional restaurants and fast-food chains. The restaurant is comparable to the Five Guys burger chain, combining the quick turnaround of counter ordering with better-quality ingredients.

The North Palm Beach-based company is most well known for its hormone-free beef, its chairs made from “upcycled” Coca-Cola bottles and its signature sauce. The menu also includes hot dogs, veggie burgers, custard, fries and onion rings.

Yo! Sushi and B&B Burger and Beer Joint will open restaurants inside the Mall at University Town Center next week.

Yo! Sushi, a British chain of sushi restaurants, will open late next week, according to communication officials with the Mall at UTC. The chain of restaurants is known for delivering food to its customers on a conveyor belt. The concept is popular in other countries, including Japan and the United Kingdom.

The Sarasota location, which is one of the first to open in the United States, boasts an 280-foot long conveyor belt. One opened in Washington, D.C., but that has since folded. The company has plans to expand in the U.S. this year, including more restaurants in Florida.

The chain, founded in 1997, now serves more than 5 million customers a year in such places as Dublin, Sintra, Dubai and Kuwait. More than 70 restaurants are open across Europe and the Middle East.

B&B Burger and Beer Joint will host its grand opening party on Wednesday, April 22. This is the Miami-based restaurant chain’s fourth restaurant in Florida. B&B serves gourmet burgers and craft beer. The company took overa restaurant space formerly leased by Zinburger, a Phoenix-based wine and burger bar chain.

B&B is aggressively expanding, with plans for 29 new restaurants in Florida, California, New York, Washington D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

B&B Burger and Beer Joint, will open a new restaurant inside the Mall at University Town Center, taking over a space that was once filled by Zinburger, according to Sarasota County permitting documents.

Building permits filed with Sarasota County this week show that the Miami-based chain, will open its first restaurant in Southwest Florida at the new mall, in a space that was once designated for Zinburger, a Phoenix-based wine and burger bar chain.It is unclear at this time why Zinburger will no longer be opening in the mall.

B&B started on South Beach in 2009. A year later the company expanded to open a second location in Miami’s Mary Brickell Village. The chain has locations in Pembroke Pines and Orlando, which opened last year with franchisee owners.

The restaurant offers gourmet style burgers and a full bar which includes more than 75 beers. Inside, the restaurant has a rock and roll theme. Some menu highlights include the 10-pound Mother Burger, the fried Twinkie with ice cream, fried zucchini and adult milkshakes.

B&B will join other restaurants like Brio Tuscan Grille, the Cheesecake Factory and Yo! Sushi, which are opening their first Southwest Florida locations in the Mall at University Town Center.

To see a full list of retailers and restaurants coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

The Herald-Tribune reported reported stores like Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and others will open in the Mall at University Town Center last year. The 880,000-square-foot retail center will open October 16.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Culver’s Restaurant will open its first Sarasota store in the University Park area later this year.

The Wisconsin-based chain, known for its “ButterBurgers” and frozen custard, will open a store at 2605 University Parkway in the University Groves. The 4,446-square-foot restaurant is expected to open in April.

Culver’s Restaurant operates another store in Port Charlotte.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Cheeburger Cheeburger’s location in the The Landings off Tamiami Trail has closed.

The Fort-Myers based burger chain has operated its Sarasota store 4944 S. Tamiami Trail since2005. The store closed last month.

“After 8 years and my advancing age, I decided to retire and enjoy my boat and grandchildren,” said franchisee, Richard Bloom. “I had many opportunities to sell but the landlord would not adjust there rent to be in line with the rest of the market.”

Cheeburger was known for its simple menu but enormous burgers and 1950s diner style. The chain has restaurant locations all around the country, including in the Orlando area, Sanibel Island and Lake Worth in Florida. The company once operated a Bradenton location too, at 7246 55th Avenue East.

Photo by Nina Greipel, Herald-Tribune staff

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Southwest Florida’s classic drive-in diner, the Hob Nob, will close at the end of July for renovations.

The restaurant, which has been open at 1701 N. Washington Blvd., since 1957, will get a new roof, new awnings, tables and countertops during a month-long renovation process, said owner Cary Spicuzza. The outdoor diner will be closed for much of August and plans to reopen Sept. 1, Spicuzza said.

An official closing date has not yet been determined.

“This building has been here since the 1950s. It’s about time we replaced some things,” he said.

Spicuzza will spend nearly half a million dollars on the renovations, which include building a 24-inch concrete block wall around the perimeter of the open-air dining area for safety reasons. Six weeks ago the restaurant was damaged when a drunk driver went off the road and plowed through a section of the dining area, Spicuzza said.

Other renovations include replacing old electrical systems.

The Hob Nob‘s menu and general look and feel will remain the same, said Spicuzza, who has owned the restaurant with his wife Debby since 1991.

“The economy is finally picking up and now we can get the financing we need to do the renovations,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. I wanted to do this three years ago.”

Photo by Jason McKibben, Herald-Tribune staff.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

The partners behind Gecko’s Grill & Pubs are bringing back an old fashioned diner that was once a well-known gem in Southwest Florida.

S’Macks Burgers & Shakes will open under Gecko’s Hospitality Group ownership at the corner of Bee Ridge Road and Shade Avenue this summer. The site of the new restaurant will offer classic menu items like frozen custard shakes, burgers, hand cut fries, S’macks hot dogs, and more.

The restaurant will mimic a classic local diner that was originally known as Smack. The original establishment opened as a drive-in diner at the intersection of Main Street and Pine Place in 1934. The restaurant moved to Main Street and Osprey Avenue in 1937, which is now the Suntrust Bank building. It closed in the late 1950s.

“If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘American Graffiti,’ it looked just like that,” said Sarasota historian, Jeff LaHurd. “It was a place that anyone who lived here during that time would remember fondly.”

LaHurd said the restaurant was a hotspot for locals and tourists alike, and was known for having “beautiful girls who took customer orders curbside.” It was also a popular hangout for teens, and often a site of rivalry between Manatee High School and Sarasota High School students, he added.

S’macks is expected to open in July and will offer indoor and outdoor seating.

Bradenton will soon be home to the first Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers fast food restaurant in Florida.

The burger chain plans to open its newest store and the first in Florida at 7376 52nd Place East in Bradenton by April 23, said Mark Scholler, vice president of franchise development for the Wichita-based company.

The chain is known for its cooked-to-order steakburgers, shoestring fries and frozen custard treats.

“We are extremely excited to bring Freddy’s great tastes and quality food to Bradenton”, said local franchise operator, Cash Shelton. “With construction progressing, we are now focusing on the recruitment of high energy individuals to build our team around. We plan to hire about 75 new team members from the area.”

This is the first of 11 Freddy’s franchise locations Shelton has signed on for in Manatee, Lee, Collier and Sarasota counties, Scholler said.

“The rest of Florida is up for grabs. Usually after a Freddy’s store opens in a new market or state there is a wave of franchise interest and I would expect the same there in Florida,” he said.

The Bradenton store, which once housed an Arby’s, will have a dine-in area and drive thru. The store will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and close at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Freddy’s was founded in Wichita, Kan., in 2002 and opened its first franchised location in 2004. There are Freddy’s locations in 15 states across the country.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.